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Trแบงn Vฤฉnh Trรญ
Trแบงn Vฤฉnh Trรญ

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I Built a Real-Time VST3 Host That Runs Waves & Auto-Tune โ€” With 100% AI-Generated Code

#cpp #opensource #audio #ai

๐ŸŽค How I Built a Real-Time Plugin Host That Runs Waves & Auto-Tune

with JUCE, C++, and a little help from AI (actually... all the code)

Hi, I'm Trรญ โ€” a system designer and indie developer from Vietnam.

I never studied programming in school. I didnโ€™t even finish high school.

But I built a real-time plugin host โ€” and it actually works.

In fact, 100% of the code was written by AI, based on my ideas, designs, and logic.

๐ŸŽง What is idolLiveAudio?

idolLiveAudio is an open-source audio plugin host built with JUCE and C++20, designed specifically for idol livestreamers who sing and perform live on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and more.

It runs Waves, Auto-Tune Pro, and most VST3 plugins with low latency.

Think of it as a mini-DAW โ€” but lightweight, fast, and laser-focused on live vocals.

screenshot

๐Ÿ”ง Why I built this?

Because most DAWs are overkill for livestream use.

And most free plugin hosts? Either unstable, bloated, or canโ€™t handle complex plugins like Waves or Antares.

idolLiveAudio is designed to:

  • Be dead simple to use
  • Load professional plugins like CLA Vocals, Auto-Tune Pro
  • Sync playback with RAW vocal recordings
  • Support real-time effects like Reverb, Delay, EQ
  • Prevent disasters on stage or livestream (with Safety Lock mode)

โš™๏ธ Tech Stack

  • JUCE (C++ framework for audio)
  • C++20 (compiled with Visual Studio)
  • WavesShell support with plugin extraction logic
  • Real-time audio pipeline with FX routing per track
  • AI-assisted architecture planning (ChatGPT + Gemini)
  • Full plugin scanning, loading, playback, and preset systems

๐Ÿงช What was hard?

  1. Waves Plugin Shells โ€” They're tricky. Most hosts can't scan or load them correctly. I built a custom WavesShellManager to detect and extract actual plugins from .vst3 containers.

  2. Plugin crash protection โ€” Some plugins crash if you breathe wrong. So I wrapped all state loading and playback in tryโ€“catch blocks to keep the app alive even when a plugin dies.

  3. Synchronized multi-track playback โ€” idolLiveAudio records unprocessed input from both vocal and music channels, then plays them back in sync using custom transport logic.

  4. Making it โ€œidiot-proofโ€ โ€” Since many users are non-tech idols, I built a โ€œSafety Lockโ€ feature to freeze settings during livestream โ€” no more accidental disasters.

๐Ÿš€ Features in v1.1.0

  • โœ… Runs Waves and Auto-Tune Pro plugins
  • ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Multi-track RAW recording (vocal + music input)
  • ๐ŸŽง Per-track FX chains, recorders, and players
  • ๐Ÿ”Š Soundboard for triggering effects live
  • ๐ŸŸข Real-time bypass, gain, mute, and RMS meters
  • ๐Ÿ”’ Safety Lock to prevent misclicks mid-show
  • ๐Ÿ’พ Save/Load complete plugin presets with state recall

๐Ÿ’ก Final Thoughts

I may not be a professional developer by degree โ€”

but with the right tools, system logic, and a bit of AI magic, you can create something real.

๐ŸŽฏ My mission is simple:

Make high-end vocal processing accessible to non-technical performers โ€” especially livestreaming idols.

Check out the project:

๐Ÿ‘‰ https://github.com/DEVCodeWithAI/idolLiveAudio

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to connect if you're also building tools for creators, or using AI to code crazy things.

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ 100% AI-generated code. Human-designed. Field-tested.

๐ŸŽค Built for live performers โ€” not just developers.

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